Well hello there. I'll be honest; I'm not really sure what I'm blogging about. I suppose I am my theme to this blog as it'll be about me, and I am the one writing it. Wow we're off to a great start aren't we? I am a stand up comedian. Well a newer stand up comedian- it's why you probably have never heard of me. I've been writing and performing stand up since March 2007. Yes, even after 4 years I'm still new. I don't think audiences realize how long it takes for a comedian to edit a joke until it is just right. Sometimes you can write a joke and it can't get much better than when you first wrote it, and that's awesome. But more often you have an idea for a joke, a premise, and it takes a while to form the right wording of the joke. It's why open mics are so important/painful. We don't know a joke will work until we have an audience to try it out on. You are our guinea pigs. And that's just joke writing. We're still trying to figure out our voice, our personality as a writer and performer on stage. I feel I'm beginning to ramble on about the process of open mics and trial and error with jokes. In short, what I'm saying is that it takes about 7 years to find your voice as a comedian, so even after 4 years, I'm still considered a baby in the comedy world.
This last year in comedy has been an important one for me. It wasn't that I made great strides with my career, I didn't. I actually fell into a rut and I didn't know how to get out of it. When I started performing, the other comedians were very impressed with how good I was. I got a lot of compliments and it seemed like I was a rising star. What I didn't understand was that I was really good for how long I was a comedian. I was really good for someone who was six months into her (hopefully) life long comedy career. I'm not one to get a huge ego about myself, but it definitely was inflated. I was six months in and I thought I wasn't getting the opportunities I thought I should be getting. I evolved very quickly as a young comedian and this last year I hit a wall. I didn't know what else to write about. I'm not political, or even very topical. I write about me, and the things I've experienced. I joke about my weight, being single, weird events that have happened to me, childhood therapy... I felt like I had nothing else to explore. In my personal life, I was caught up in a relationship that wasn't mentally healthy for me. I was depressed and I didn't want to do anything. What had happened to me? I had lost myself, and I didn't know what to do but just let the grey take over my world.
"Wow Kelly, this is really bringing me down."
I know, sorry, but that's where I was about six months ago from today. But it gets better! I met Jason! Yes Jason is a really new comic, newer than me, and after hanging out, drinking with a bunch of comics, I was playing DD and found out that he lived up the street from me. We began writing together because it was convenient. My experience mixed with his excitement to write and perform was just perfect. His energy and passion was what I was lacking and it made me want to get that back in my life. We're kindred spirits- is that the right phrase I want to use? I don't know why I'm asking you, I'm the one trying to explain it. I think that's what I mean. Anyway, I was back on the proverbial saddle.
I told myself that after 5 years of stand up here in San Francisco, then I would make the move to Los Angeles. LA just makes more sense for me. I want to do everything; stand up, act, write, tv shows, movies- I want it all. New York is pretty much straight up stand up. If you want to be the best stand up comedian you can be, and do it for the rest of your life, I'd say go to New York. LA is more commercial to me. It's Hollywood. I just feel I'm more suited for television. I'm not a leading lady, but I'm the quirky something. The quirky sister, neighbor, best friend of the leading character on some sitcom. I'm really freaked out about moving to LA. But that's got to be a whole separate blog. Stay tuned.
So what now? Was there a point I was trying to make? I doubt it. I don't know what I'm doing with this blog remember? Actually, I lifted the idea to blog from Jason. (You might notice we have a podcast blog, you can listen to it from the blog or on iTunes! "Kelly and Jason's Untitled Podcast") Something I lack in my work ethics is consistency and discipline. My goal is to write everyday. It's a hefty goal. They won't be all long like this one is turning out to be. I imagine that I'll write about shows I'll do, my frustrations with my day job, my personal relationships with friends and family and just general awkward encounters I have with anyone and everyone. I hope to connect with you reader, whoever you may be. Maybe I know you, and you're getting to see a side of me that you never knew existed. Perhaps you saw me perform and liked what you saw. I appreciate you. You're amazing and it's always so wonderful to know I can make you laugh; it's indescribable. Really- I just spent five minutes trying to figure out how to describe it, and I couldn't. I wonder if any of you reading just stumbled upon this, how did that happen? That's pretty cool. Who ever you are, and whatever your connection to me is, I hope that you get something from this blog as I hope to gain something from writing it. I hope that I can entertain you, or make you think, or make you feel that there's someone else like you out there in the world.
Am I getting too existentialist? Okay, to make it up to you, I'll write a dick joke for next time.
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